WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Vavina Lapham was elevated to the role of Head Coach at Salem College on March 17, 2021 in an announcement from Interim Director of Athletics Chelsey Stewart. In this capacity Lapham will continue to serve as Aquatics Director for both Salem Academy & College.
Along with the new role, Lapham has also earned the distinction of being a licensed Chemical Pool Operator, a qualified Water Safety Instructor, Water Safety Instructor Teacher as well as a Lifeguard Instructor and Lifeguard Instructor Teacher. Lapham was also recently named as the first female head coach at Brookberry Farms in Winston-Salem and competes in the Greater Forsyth Summer League since being established in 2014.
Lapham is a member of American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA), National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA), College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) and USA Swimming. The 2020-21 season, Lapham's first at the helm, will mark the first time in the history of Salem College swimming that a team will join an NCAA Division III conference. In each of the four previous seasons the Spirits competed as an independent.
Lapham joined the Salem College staff in 2019-20 when she accepted an assistant coaching role under then head coach Tim Hillen. Lapham took a key role in developing and recruiting for the Salem swim program, which captured 39 Top-3 finishes over the course of the season.
Lapham helped develop and enhance the collegiate career of junior Olivia Kleven, who established a single-season program-record for most Top-3 finishes (16) after competing in eight events over the course of the slate. Kleven also set the single-season program-record for most first-place finishes (eight) in 2019-20. Lapham provided Kleven the insight which helped her establish program records in the 100-individual medley (1:10.07), 200 breaststroke (2:51.76) and the 100-breaststroke (1:16.31).
With Lapham poolside at every meet, including the Guilford/Greensboro Dual on Jan. 18, 2020, Salem earned a second-place finish in the 200-medley relay with the team of Kleven, Corrin Shores, Rachel Black and Amy Stutzer, which notched a time of 2:30.50. They became the fifth unit in Salem swimming history to post a time of 2:30 or better, narrowly missing the fourth-best time in program history, which came on Feb. 2, 2010.
"I am looking forward to seeing Coach Lapham make her mark on our swim program," said interim Director of Athletics Chelsey Stewart. "As the assistant coach she recruited at a high level and showed her willingness to support her student athletes during the challenges that the pandemic held. I have seen Coach Lapham engage and support her student athletes. They are lucky to have such a passionate and thoughtful coach. I know Coach Lapham will grow this program and encourage her student athletes both in the pool and in the classroom."
Lapham developed a love of swimming at a young age that has followed her through her entire life. A former competitive swimmer who graduated from South Stokes High School, along with being a surfer and record holder in backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle, Lapham trained under coach Phyllis Steimel at the Rowan Aquatic Center in Salisbury, N.C.
She went onto attend Valdosta State and later the University of Georgia, where she earned her degree in exercise and sports science.
A former coach at Swim Atlanta, recognized traditionally as a USA Swimming Top-5 team, Vavina coached: Masters, Senior AM, Senior I-3 and Advanced Age Group. Under the guidance of USA Swimming Elite Level coach Landon Harris, she had the honor of working with some of USA Swimming's most elite coaches & swimmers as an assistant with the U.S. National Team.
For more information on Salem swimming check out www.salemspirits.com.